HA! Chapter 5: Was Ancient Sumer a Civilization

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Transcript of HA! Chapter 5: Was Ancient Sumer a Civilization

Characteristics of a Civilization HA! Chapter 5: Was Ancient Sumer a Civilization Stable Food Supply Social Structure/Government The Sumerians believed in a god for everything. Just as we go to temple or church to worship today, they went to the ziggurat to worship. These ziggurats were religious temple towers. The Sumerians believed that the gods lived in the ziggurats. Sumerians also built statues to express their beliefs. They also had ceremonies. Musicians performed at these ceremonies. Some ceremonies included a human sacrifice by killing someone and offering it to the gods. Religion The arts included painting, architecture, and music. Sumerian metal workers made weapons and decorative items such as mirrors and jewelry. Music was very important because people believed that music brought joy to the gods.Musicians played many instruments including drums and pipes. One of there most favorite was a small harp called a lyre. They were often very decorated. This shows the Sumerians' love for music. The Arts Most people think that the Sumerians best invention was the wheel. They built the wheels by clamping wood together. Another great invention was the arch. They would put it in doorways and in buildings to make them stronger. Technology Writing Before farmers invented the plow, they would use a stick or animal horn to poke holes in the ground. This was a very slow process and farmers wanted to make it faster.The plow was first made out of wood. One end was bent for cutting into the ground to turn the soil. Farmers pushed and pulled these plows to make the soil ready for planting. There were 3 levels of social structure. The upper class included priests, land-owners, and government officials.The king of the city state was the developer of laws. Scribes helped record the laws. Most of their houses had whitewashed mud walls. There was two stories on most of the houses. The middle class included merchants and craftspeople. The craftspeople made expensive jewelry for the upper class. The last class is the lower class. This included slaves. They could own no money or land. The Sumerians used writing called cuneiform. This was the first known written language. The Sumerians also made the first known story or tale called "Gilgamesh Adventures". Obviously this was not what it was called in Sumerian but that is what it is translated to in English. The End Credits Ha! Textbook Google Images